OT - Dominions: Preists, Prophets & Pretenders

[MythicalMino]

johan,

are they still a go for monday? also, do you know how long it takes to ship the current game to the United States?

[johan osterman]

Originally posted by cpbeller:
johan,

are they still a go for monday? also, do you know how long it takes to ship the current game to the United States?

10 days perhaps, but sometimes it will take a week or so longer for no apparent reason. It is still supposed to be printed monday, and hopefully it will.

[PvK]

Each hero and special magic creature I lose to my own archers needlessly shooting at targets that endanger my own men, feels like one too many. I've even lost a couple of important units to javelins thrown by my own men only a few paces behind. Even if I place my archers exposed on a flank, and there are swarms of targets behind the front line, they often fire right at the melee and hit men of both sides. Same with things like fire bLasts and poison clouds. No-risk targets should get chosen first, and risky shots only taken in desperate situations, or not at all. Or at least, that doctrine should be an option.

I have to admit though that I enjoy Dominions so much that I won't mind buying another Version right after buying the first. I might wait a while though to savor the first - there's a ton of gameplay I still want to get to in it!

One of my favorite spectacles is the tough castle assaults with large numbers of attackers. I recently had a spy observing an Emorian force of hundreds of units assaulting Marignon held only by about six Knights of the Chalice and a paladin, a handful of pikemen, and about fifteen high clergy with all sorts of holy fire magic. The holy magic was sweeping away scores of undead every turn, and the necromancers were re-animating skeletons almost as quickly, but would occasionally get bLasted themselves. Four Chalice knights and some pikemen moved to the breach as about twenty heavy spear infantry moved up to assault, and I thought they would be overrun, but they managed to hold them off, thanks largely to all the fire support - one situation where having your own wizards set fire to everything around you might be ok. Marignon only barely held out, wiping out hundreds of the undead... but there are hundreds more ready for a rematch.

PvK

[Nerfix]

I've never realy had such problems. When using "XYZ Clouds", i either use:
A)Wards(expensive... but can be worth it)
B)Units immune to the effects of the clouds.

Try giving Amulets of Missile Protection to your heroes... I have a funky strategy for Calum that i call the "Arrow Grasshopper". Let's just say that it features Storm General, Bowmen and Amulet of Missile Protection...

"Managing" your troops better might help too... It's not good idead to give archers orders to shoot closest and then have your infantry attack closest too... I usualy order bowmen to shoot at commanders/magic Users.

[QuarianRex]

Right now I've been toying around with Ermor on the demo (I've always had a thing for the undead) and I love the way they're set up. Just having the ability to devastate the resources and population of my lands without crippling myself is a pure joy. Granted, I had to give up on using blood magic, finding sacrificial virgins in a province with a pop of 10 is less than fruitful.

I've restarted several games to find a mix of magic, domain and pretender that I like. I'm currently favouring a liberally skilled lich with a lucky domain. I'm undecided on magic vs. drain. Do I want faster research or better banishment resistance? Hmm... needs more testing.

Anyone here have a favourite pretender/race combo? I'd be interested to hear.

Also, when is shrapnel going to make an announcement about Dom2? I didn't see any mention of it in the coming soon section and such. If it actually is going to be released in a couple of weeks (for the love of god let it be this quick) then they better start hyping.

Edit for spelling.

[ September 14, 2003, 04:33: Message edited by: QuarianRex ]

[Nerfix]

My favorite pretender/nation combo is Arch Seraph with lots of diffrent paths of magic(so called Rainbow Mage) and Caelum. Whopping gem income= lots of summons and lots of neat magical items. Fire and earth gems can be turned to money too.

[PvK]

Giving missile shields to heroes and having archers only fire at commanders are work-arounds, but they only go so far. Not being able to have archers and melee engage the main enemy body without frequent "friendly fire" is my main gripe with the tactical AI.

PvK

[Pocus]

but PvK, friendly fire was and is a reality. Just remember the examples we saw in Afghanistan and Irak. Even with precise armaments, there was still casualties from friendly fire.
The problem is that most of the games gave us the bad habit to fire at will, and magically our troops would not be harmed.

You find your archers too stupids? Aside from the fact that the AI in doms II is augmented when it comes to targeting, the problem lie perhaps because you ask too much of them. Historically, a commander would ask his archers to rain arrows upon the enemy, and stop when melee start. In dominions you could just do that, and this is not workarounds IMO : ask for firing at commanders (rear area), or ask to fire and flee (so they fire 2 rounds). I must recon though that the best order would be to fire X rounds then stop. Dont know if it will be available in doms II.

the main forum (most Posts) about dominions is a newsgroup, for those interested :
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic

you can also fire google (dejanews) and search topics in this newsgroup, for example 'ermor pretender'.

[MythicalMino]

hmmmm...still no info as to Shrapnel Games publishing Dominions 2....or it going to print....or anything from shrapnelgames for that matter.....

does anyone out there know anything about what is going on?

[Pocus]

Lets start the ritual of 'Invoke Johan Osterman' then!

Johaaaaaan Johaaaaaan Johaaaaaan Johaaaaaan Johaaaaaan Johaaaaaan weeeee neeeeeed youuuuuuu !!!